


Villains of Truth and Ideals: An AntiGravityShipping Manifesto

by IcyKali



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Essays, Other, Ship Manifesto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 11:53:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15818349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyKali/pseuds/IcyKali
Summary: A ship manifesto for AntiGravityShipping! After creating lots of content for this ship, I decided it would be nice to collect my thoughts on why it's an interesting and viable pairing in one place, while citing many details from the games' canon.





	Villains of Truth and Ideals: An AntiGravityShipping Manifesto

In my eyes, AntiGravityShipping, the romantic pairing of Colress/Ghetsis, is a ship with a rather storied history in the _Pokémon_ fandom. At one time, it was highly popular, perhaps rivaling the other super-popular ships that include villains. However, AntiGravityShipping (henceforth shortened to AGS) strangely never had the number of longform, non-crack, non-PWP fanfics those other pairings have had. In addition, despite Colress and Ghetsis becoming relevant again due to _USUM_ , very few people ship AGS, and much of its old fan content (its fanfics, fanart, and RPs) have disappeared. A lot of the content for the ship is created by only a handful of fans. In fact, I would now consider AGS less popular than ResearchEthicShipping or AbsoluteControlShipping, villain ships which have their own Discord chats, ship weeks, and other events, yet are often considered rarepairs themselves.

So despite the fact I am by no means a major voice in the fandom, as one of the handful of people still creating AGS content, I decided to give the pairing a little bit of the attention I feel it deserves! There’s a lot to cover here, since the generation in which Ghetsis and Colress debuted was highly plot-oriented and they are mysterious characters in general. This means I’ll be focusing on the games only here, since the characters originate from there, the relationship between these characters changes drastically based on the canon, and their game-only relationship is already incredibly difficult to parse.  
  
One last note: I’m not trying to prove in any way that a romantic element is canon in the games! I only want to show that AGS has good story potential and that it could stand on the same level as other pairings supported by fans. And so, let’s begin!  
  
WHAT’S THEIR RELATIONSHIP IN THE GAMES?

At some point before _BW2_ , Colress was appointed by Ghetsis to be the boss of Team Plasma. When Nate/Rosa first sees undeniable proof that Colress is part of Team Plasma, Colress refers to Ghetsis as his “acquaintance,” but there are clear signs that Colress and Ghetsis have actually known each other for years. Colress gives the protagonist of _SM_ and _USUM_ the Genesect Drives, and he decides to dock the Plasma Frigate near the P2 Laboratory after the end of _BW2_ , so he may have worked on the creation of Genesect. The Ghetsis that is part of Team Rainbow Rocket also recognizes Colress and knows him well enough to make a call on his behavior even though this Ghetsis is from _BW_ and not _BW2_. This is speculation, but Colress was most likely an honorary Sage of sorts, considering his name—each Sage (minus Ghetsis) has a color as their name, and Colress’s name is a corruption of “colorless.”

As the boss of Team Plasma in _BW2_ , Colress pilots the Plasma Frigate and researches the potential power of Kyurem. He locates the DNA Splicers and freezes Opelucid City, allowing Ghetsis to forcibly fuse the two legendary dragons. In exchange, Ghetsis gives Colress the opportunity to further his research.

Fig. 1 Zinzolin mentioning Colress’s locating the DNA Splicers

However, Colress is so interested in his research into bringing out the power of pokémon, in order to determine the best approach, he undermines Team Plasma and pits Nate/Rosa against Ghetsis in order to see which one of them will win in a battle. Ghetsis sees Colress make this decision by watching the surveillance footage in his room. Ghetsis berates Colress, saying, “That blasted Colress! The fool is far too committed to pure science. This is how he repays me for making him the boss of Team Plasma? How dare he put his personal intellectual curiosity before our ultimate mission of conquering Unova!” This is how the player learns that Colress is not only a member of Team Plasma, but was its boss.

Fig. 2 Ghetsis in his office

Ghetsis leaves to put his evil plan into action after this. Colress is not seen again until post-game, after Ghetsis has been defeated. If the player goes to the island the P2 Laboratory is on and goes to talk to Colress on the Plasma Frigate, he will battle the player. After this first match, he will say:  
  
“In Pokémon battles where you can't afford to make a mistake, the true nature of the Trainer's personality becomes clear. I see! If Trainers believe in their Pokémon to the fullest extreme, as you do, their Pokémon partners will also give everything they have! So that must be the answer I've been looking for. Still, I'm glad you won. For one thing, I detested Ghetsis from the start! Take this with you! This Master Ball can catch any kind of Pokémon! Ghetsis was saving it, but you'll probably put it to better use!”  
  
Colress and Ghetsis later interact in USUM—after RR’s Ghetsis is defeated by Sun/Moon and tries to use Lillie as a hostage, Colress makes himself visible to Ghetsis and takes Lillie away from him. Ghetsis asks Colress why he would interfere in his plans, and Colress responds with this:

Fig. 3 Colress shouts at Ghetsis  
  
Colress then uses his Colress Machine No. 1102 and sends this Ghetsis back to the world he came from.

Fig. 4 Colress tells Lillie what he did

 

OKAY… SO THEY HATE EACH OTHER? WASN’T THIS SUPPOSED A SHIPPING MANIFESTO OR SOMETHING?

 

Hold your Horsea! The state of their relationship is actually a lot more complex than a surface reading might lead you to believe.  
  
Let’s start by considering Ghetsis’s character. When N went against Ghetsis’s plan to use him to seize power and began acting as a real hero, not just the one he was groomed to be, Ghetsis was enraged. He called him “warped,” “defective,” and claimed he wasn’t even a human being! In addition, he tried to freeze Nate/Rosa solid in _BW2_ and struck Lillie in _USUM_ , proving that even strangers don’t escape Ghetsis’s wrath. He is incredibly ruthless with his enemies. Even when he’s not shouting insults or physically injuring anyone, he’s trying to limit the control of others in order to use them as his pawns. For instance, he keeps close to RR Giovanni’s room in _USUM_ in order to keep tabs on him and rule through him. He arranged for N to have caretakers who would instill flawed beliefs in him while simultaneously infantilizing him. In fact, Ghetsis will spend a lot of time and energy trying to manipulate others’ beliefs, and only openly reveals his true cruelty when he’s been found out and has failed. In fact, Ghetsis’s old concept art says this on it:  
  
“Desires absolute power, covets total control, has an aggressive personality, and will not stop until he's completely obtained both. That's perfection…”

But let’s think about how Ghetsis treats Colress in particular. It might be easy to assume he set Colress up as a figurehead like N, but there is clear evidence that suggests otherwise. First of all, Colress was free to wander all over Unova, conducting his own research separate from Team Plasma, which actually led to him undermining Team Plasma. This is very different from how Ghetsis handled N. Also, Colress’s room on the Plasma Frigate has all the actual controls to the ship! Ghetsis’s room has security cameras, but Colress would be the one actually steering the Frigate and operating its weaponry. The cell holding Kyurem sat right between Ghetsis’s and Colress’s rooms—it seems to me that they held an equal amount of power, or that Colress actually held slightly more than Ghetsis!

Another key detail to keep in mind is the way Ghetsis responds to Colress interfering with his schemes. Obviously, Ghetsis was angry at Colress in _BW2_ , as the quote I showed earlier demonstrated. But what did Ghetsis do to Colress after this? Nothing. He simply left Colress at the controls of the ship even after seeing that and doesn’t punish him whatsoever! This is a very big difference from Ghetsis’s usual reaction to being foiled.

Similarly, in _USUM_ , RR Ghetsis doesn’t try to do anything to Colress, though he does call Colress a “bastard” in versions of the game in other languages when he’s sent away. So once again, he gets angry, but does nothing to hurt him. He doesn’t even react to Colress declaring that he despises him. Speaking of other languages, in the Japanese version of the game, the way the dialogue is timed is a little different than the English version. So in that version, we get to see that Ghetsis actually smiles for a split-second when Colress shows up.

Fig. 5 RR Ghetsis’s expression

Ghetsis may desire “absolute power” and covet “total control,” but apparently he has no desire to exert any of this control over Colress. I’ve seen some people saying Ghetsis abused Colress or treated him badly, but… there clearly isn’t any evidence for that. He gave Colress power and resources, and doesn’t appear to have restricted his freedom in any way. Sure, Ghetsis also didn’t abuse the Sages or the Shadow Triad, so his relationship with Colress is not unique in that regard—obviously, even though Ghetsis is an unrepentant abuser, that doesn't mean he abused absolutely everyone he knows. However, his treatment of Colress is unique in that Colress repeatedly messed with his schemes, yet Ghetsis didn’t retaliate whatsoever.

 

WHATEVER, COLRESS DEFINITELY HATES GHETSIS. HE SAID SO. RATHER LOUDLY.

 

There’s no gentle way to say this—Colress is probably lying. It’s time to talk about Colress’s character: he lies about and minimizes his involvement in things a lot. I already pointed out that Colress calls Ghetsis an “acquaintance” when that seems inaccurate, and that he never owns up to being the boss of Team Plasma—the player had to learn it from Ghetsis!  
  
A very clear instance of Colress lying is in _BW2_. He says, “Those Crustle… Were they just lying here, out of energy, with their boulders on their backs?” on Route 4 when he uses his Colress Machine to reenergize the Crustle blocking the road. Later, he gives Nate/Rosa the device and says, “Here! This is from me! This is a prototype of my device that energizes Pokémon! It doesn’t work on battling Pokémon, but you may find it useful for something! Well then, I wish you and your Pokémon a safe journey! Now that I think about it! In the Seaside Cave on Route 21, I saw something that reminded me of when we met on Route 4.” In these lines, he implies that he stumbled upon the roadblocks. But we learn right after infiltrating the Plasma Frigate that Team Plasma set up the Crustle on purpose! This is Colress’s own team!

Fig. 6 Team Plasma set up the Crustle on purpose

It’s not that Colress is oblivious to the actions of the team he’s the de facto boss of, either. When Colress is first encountered in _BW2_ , it’s in the Castelia Sewers. He comes out of the shadows and says, “You there! That was an excellent demonstration of battling. The way you brought out the power of your Pokémon against an opponent like Team Plasma… Astounding. Simply astounding. Interesting as well. I see…” Throughout the entire game, Colress carefully observes the interaction between Nate/Rosa and Team Plasma. It should also be pretty obvious that the Colress Machine he gives the player in _BW2_ was rigged to break after one use—it wasn’t the result of shoddy design. Colress was making sure it would only be used on that one Crustle blocking the way to the Frigate and for no other purpose. 

Even when Colress isn’t necessarily lying about things, he does things behind people’s backs. In _USUM_ , Colress alters the device the Ultra Recon Squad asked him to create without their knowledge:

Fig. 7 If Lusamine was able to use the machine on Necrozma when she and Guzma went to Ultra Space, it may be Colress’s fault that Necrozma forcibly fused with Nebby!

After all of this, we can’t assume Colress always tells the truth. He often twists or hides the truth for his own purposes.

Speaking of the devices he made for the Ultra Recon Squad, isn’t it odd that Colress would do something so similar to Ghetsis’s evil plan from _BW2_ if he hates him so much? Lanakila Crater even looks similar to the deepest cave of the Giant Chasm. I mean, Colress even says, “I happen to know quite a bit about Pokémon fusion myself... But that is a different tale,” in this place. Obviously the game designers didn’t draw these parallels by accident!

Also, if Colress detested Ghetsis from the start as he claims in _BW2_ , why would he have such a longstanding relationship with him, one that goes back years? Maybe Colress hated Ghetsis’s methods and just stuck by him for all that time for resources… except, Colress is fine with being “merciless” as long as it brings out the full potential of pokémon. He says so back in _BW2_ —he even says he doesn’t mind destroying the world. Since he intentionally pit Nate/Rosa and Ghetsis against each other to see which of their approaches was more effective, do we really know Colress wouldn’t have told Ghetsis something like, “How fortunate that you defeated that trainer! I detested them from the beginning, but I had no choice but to test the viability of their approach,” if Ghetsis had won instead?

Also, if Colress hated Ghetsis and his methods, would he use the exact same moveset he did… and on Klinklang, his signature pokémon, no less?

Fig. 8 Ghetsis’s Cofagrigus’s moveset in _BW2_ , and one of Colress’s Klinklang’s movesets in _USUM_

And on the topic of the Battle Tree, would Colress keep making his Metagross spam Explosion, a powerful move that hurts his pokémon and any teammates, if he really detested Ghetsis’s methods?

Then there is the fan-favorite moment from _USUM_ in which Colress shouts, “I simply despise you, Ghetsis. That’s enough reason for me!” at RR Ghetsis before sending him back to his world. This at first seems like obvious proof that Colress’s hatred of Ghetsis is real. However, there are several pieces of evidence to undermine Colress’s words.

Fig. 9 Colress shouts at RR Ghetsis

First of all, why does the camera hide Colress’s expression? It would be more cathartic to see Colress’s hatred etched into his features if this is a true victory against Ghetsis. There was no reason for the developers to obscure this unless it was for a reason. In fact, since Colress is standing in front of Lillie and Moon/Sun, the only person who can see his face is Ghetsis himself.

After Colress sends Ghetsis away, we finally get to see his face: 

Fig. 10 Colress after using his Colress Machine

As you can see, Colress’s expression is just his usual calm smile. If he is so pleased about besting Ghetsis, shouldn’t he have his grinning expression instead?

In addition, if Colress despises Ghetsis so passionately, why did he choose the gentlest possible way to get him out of the picture? He merely sent him back to his world… the world where RR Ghetsis had already succeeded in his plans. This was no punishment. Ghetsis is angry about being sent away, of course, but that is because he cannot conquer every world and he was already stressed from losing beforehand. Often, fans talk about how this was Colress being “savage” toward Ghetsis, but Colress barely inconvenienced him!

Then, Colress says this:

Fig. 11 Colress talks about sending RR Ghetsis back

I used to think Colress hated Ghetsis, but this is the line that that first led me to question that idea. The phrasing of this sentence makes it possible that Colress hopes Ghetsis not only doesn’t cause any trouble, but doesn’t get in trouble himself. He could have easily phrased it differently so this double-meaning wasn’t present. Also in this scene, Colress references Ghetsis by name many times in quick succession, even referring to RR as, “…the evil leaders, such as Ghetsis,” and mentioning that Ghetsis shouldn’t be taken lightly (even though he had just toyed with him—as if Colress didn’t want to reveal any form of respect while Ghetsis was still present to hear him say it). This is the behavior of someone who feels a strong connection to another person.

So why would Colress keep saying he hates Ghetsis if he actually doesn’t? It’s probably another lie he’s using to keep his reputation spotless. Notice that when he says he hates Ghetsis, it is always in front of the protagonist of that game. It is an easy way to make himself look good in comparison and to make it sound as if he was never villainous. Ghetsis is so abominable that it’s easy for Colress to use this lie as a convenient shield.

 

IN THAT CASE, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEIR RELATIONSHIP ACTUALLY IS.

 

Unfortunately, both Colress and Ghetsis are characters with many unsolved mysteries surrounding them. We still don’t know the whole truth of Ghetsis’s past and the Harmonia family, and ambiguity is so ingrained into Colress’s character, even his theme was composed to be “all over the place.” However, after all that has been described in this manifesto so far, we can establish what their relationship probably isn’t—a toxic relationship, an abusive power dynamic, a relationship between enemies, or that of mere acquaintances.  
  
Despite these unsolved mysteries, there are many hints of a deep thematic connection between Ghetsis and Colress. For instance, for each of Ghetsis’s actions, there is a parallel action that Colress executed. Ghetsis abuses his three children by manipulating them and impressing dogma upon them, Colress uses Nate/Rosa and lies to him/her for his own gain. Ghetsis lies to the public about Team Plasma to convince people release their pokémon, Colress lies to the protagonist and to his entire team to better use Nate/Rosa as a test subject. Ghetsis has the Shadow Triad give the Timespace Orbs to Hilbert/Hilda in _BW_ (probably to use him/her), Colress gives Nate/Rosa a Master Ball and gives Moon/Sun the Genesect Drives. Ghetsis tries to incapacitate or kill Rosa/Nate by having Kyurem freeze her/him, Colress freezes all of Opelucid City and is the person in charge of making Kyurem suffer in the name of progress. Ghetsis forcibly fuses two of the dragons, Colress creates a device to allow Necrozma to fuse with Nebby. I could go on and on.

Their visual designs are also extremely similar in structure:

Fig. 12 Art by Kanako Eo from the TCG

There are so many parallels between their designs that it is difficult to list all of them. Some major ones include their distinctive two-pronged forelocks, the broken lines that depict their slicked-back hair, their decorated gloves, the hexagons in their outfits, the influence of their respective signature pokémon, and the stripes on their high-collared undershirts. Note that Ghetsis’s outfit has yellow detailing while Colress’s has electric blue detailing—these are two colors often used to represent lightning, which fits their status as the heads of Team Plasma.

Fig. 13 Colress’s second outfit

Colress’s new design also echoes Ghetsis’s _BW2_ outfit. It has a high, stiff collar that opens to one side, flowing fabric, and protruding cuffs. It is also closer to an in-between shade of Colress’s and Ghetsis’s _BW2_ outfits, and hides eye-like cameras in the palms of its built-in gloves (Ghetsis is associated with an eye motif). If Colress was learning and had cut his ties to Ghetsis, it would not make sense for their designs to become even more similar over time! 

Even Ghetsis’s _BW_ outfit that was first shown before Colress debuted in the games still has parallels to Colress. Ghetsis’s design in that game includes every color of the rainbow, each color represented by the other six Sages:

Fig. 14 All the colors in Ghetsis's old design. Orange is replaced by a tan or umber color, but that’s probably just because it would be too garish otherwise.  

And as we know, Colress’s name means “colorless.” So he and Ghetsis are still inversions of each other!

Finally, take a look at N’s necklace/pendant:

Fig. 15 Art from the TCG by Megumi Mizutani

An electric blue and a bright yellow piece are attached to a ball, in a similar orientation to Ghetsis’s and Colress’s forelocks. The dark shade of the ball matches the dark colors of Colress’s and Ghetsis’s undershirts. This can be taken as symbolism—Colress and Ghetsis are incomplete halves, whereas N is a whole, fully-integrated person.

From an extrinsic viewpoint, Colress and Ghetsis are like the dragons, or like the fusions of the dragons. They have deep similarities and parallel roles, but are both incomplete in some way. Sometimes they clash, and sometimes they work together, just as Reshiram and Zekrom relate in vastly different ways in each of the Unovan myths. This thematic connection can help make their intrinsic relationship within the plot more visible as well—combined with the ambiguities associated with their interactions in canon, it suggests that they have a strong connection that changes based on the scenario. They seem to respect and avoid harming each other, but their agendas are often at odds. Their body language and choice of words suggest they like each other in some way, but also frustrate each other. There is a tinge of playfulness to their confrontation in _USUM_ , for example. Because _Pokémon_ is a series full of friendly rivalries, I picture one akin to Red’s and Blue’s when I think about their relationship.

 

WHAT’S THE SHIPPING POTENTIAL?

 

The relationship between Colress and Ghetsis is the one rare, lasting, stable, fulfilling connection between two abusive chessmasters who use others for their own gain. I believe it is possible for their relationship to grow beyond what it is canon—that it could blossom into a fruitful romance that would help both characters grow.  
  
As things are now, the states of mind of these characters aren’t remotely healthy. First of all, it’s common knowledge that Ghetsis completely lost his will after his plans failed in _BW2_ and he broke down.

Fig. 16 The Shadow Triad talk about Ghetsis’s “lost heart”

Earlier in _BW2_ , on the Plasma Frigate, Ghetsis says this when he announces his plan to use Kyurem to take over Unova: 

"Kyurem is an empty being. The remnants of a certain Pokémon when it split into Reshiram and Zekrom... My desire is absolute rule of Unova! That's right! Kyurem will be the vessel into which my desires will be poured!"

Just as Cheren points out that Ghetsis is the one without a human heart in _BW_ , not N, I think the player is meant to recognize that Ghetsis’s words here actually describe himself. Ghetsis is the cold, empty vessel, filled with nothing but a desire for power that destroys everything, including himself. He is heartless, but it just causes him pain in the end, to the point that without his plans, he’s nothing and can’t do anything anymore.

Another quote from aboard the Plasma Frigate, from Zinzolin this time, gives more context: 

“An individual's feelings… To you, that's probably a matter of great importance. But from the perspective of other people, it is a trifling matter indeed. Compare those feelings against the majesty of this ship! This ship itself is a device that uses the Pokémon Kyurem's power! With this ship, this time we will conquer Unova!”

Think about this quote from a different perspective. Without that weaponry, without pokémon (and people) to exploit, without the chance to conquer, what does Ghetsis have? Zinzolin himself is like a thrillseeker, so he has other things to live for after all of these things are gone. But Ghetsis is nothing without his schemes and desire for domination. At least, he’s almost nothing without those things—his ambiguous connection to Colress should still remain. It could be a seed for future growth—through nurturing it in the proper scenario, Ghetsis could come to live for something else and be free of the burdens he puts on himself. If he could see that there are other things to live for and embraces the power of a positive connection with another person, he could “regain his lost heart” and refocus his goals into something healthier.  
  
As for Colress, it is easy to assume that he hasn’t been cut adrift in any way and that he’s stronger than ever, unlike Ghetsis. That he understands bonds and their potential. After all, he brings the subject up in conversation constantly!  
  
"Oh, excuse me! I am a scientist. My name is Colress. The theme of my research is: "Bringing out the potential of Pokémon. What brings out the power of Pokémon is... I believe that is—the bond they share with their Trainers!"  
  
“If a Trainer trusts his or her Pokémon, even in the most extreme of situations, the Pokémon inevitably respond by unleashing their full power!”  
  
"For a Trainer such as you, who can bring out Pokémon's power through your bonds, it must have been easy."  
  
Except, as I’ve already established, clearly Colress does not understand bonds with his pokémon. He’s still hurting pokémon, even after everything he claims to have learned in _BW2_. These pokémon even include his own, as his treatment of his Metagross proves. Beyond even pokémon, does Colress have any meaningful bonds with anyone at all? He rarely interacts with other characters. He interacts with Lillie and the Aether Foundation through his work with the Ultra Recon Squad, but Colress actually used the Ultra Recon Squad in order to bring out Necrozma’s full power, and he likely only assisted Lillie because RR Ghetsis was holding up Colress’s study of the castle—notice that Colress, despite being a very powerful trainer, doesn’t bother to actually help the heroes fight any Rainbow Rocket members. He stays invisible until there is a roadblock, only sending away trainers who had already been defeated in battle.  
  
In fact, Colress barely shows emotion throughout _USUM_ , except when he thinks he’s alone. If the player tries to interact with Colress when he’s in the Tide Song Hotel, he won’t notice the main character’s presence. Instead, he will shout off the balcony.

Fig. 17 Colress screaming

After the storyline is done, trying to speak to Colress will result in his shouting different dialogue. He will say, “I must know... Why did Necrozma give its light energy to the Pokémon of Alola in the form of auras?! As Z-Power?! Hmm... If I want to find out more about moves, I suppose I should ask Professor Kukui, or even the Masked Royal! Maybe I’ll go battle them!” 

Colress comes across as unhinged and manic. He doesn’t even understand a concept as simple as Necrozma once wanting to share its light with others. And why would he? As the Ultra Recon Squad explain in _USUM_ , Necrozma used to share its light with their ancestors before those alien people became too greedy and attempted to completely control Necrozma, causing it to become crippled and enraged. Someone like Colress wouldn’t understand this kind of story—he talks about bonds, but they are bonds he uses to control his subjects for his own ends. At the same time, he does not cultivate any meaningful relationships or feelings. In many ways, Colress is just as empty and powerhungry as Ghetsis—simply replace ruling a region with an iron fist with scientific progress attained at any cost. In Colress, these traits manifest as a paradoxical combination of mania and flat affect.

However, once again, there is potential development Colress could go through if his relationship to Ghetsis were revisited. Even in _USUM_ , as I’ve shown, Colress pays homage to Ghetsis. He repeats his name over and over. He mimics his plan. He takes his pokémon’s moveset. He says he doesn’t want RR Ghetsis to get into trouble. I think it’s highly probable that Colress’s only true bond is with Ghetsis. He talks about the events of _BW2_ with a tone that sounds nostalgic. Thus, by reconnecting with Ghetsis in a respectful way and opening himself up to him without using him as a scapegoat for his scientific agenda, perhaps Colress could come to understand the true benefits and power of relationships that shine through when they are not filtered through a desire to control others.  
  
  
HOW COULD IT HAPPEN?

  
I think there are many ways that Colress and Ghetsis could reconnect and strengthen their bond. It is unclear where Ghetsis is right now, and that is left open to interpretation. I believe the simplest way to bring him and Colress together is by having one or both of them seek the other for some reason. In my AGS fic, _Routines Rewritten_ , Ghetsis hears about the Rainbow Rocket incident on the news, and then calls Colress on the phone to ask him about the other Ghetsis in order to learn from his plan. Similar possibilities could include Colress finding something mysterious on the Plasma Frigate that Ghetsis had left behind, causing Colress to go look for Ghetsis, or one of them learning that the other one has been put in danger by some outside threat. Once Colress and Ghetsis are interacting, they could realize how much more stable and happy they feel together, and a romance could begin.

As explained early in this manifesto, at the moment AGS is a nearly blank slate. There is a lot of potential for fans to create content based on the canon elements I’ve analyzed here. There are so many different ways a romance between them could be portrayed, especially given how we only see glimpses of interactions between Colress and Ghetsis in the games! Even work focused on the strange friendly rivalry they seem to have in canon without including romance would be very fun—these characters have an evil equanimity.  
  
If you ever want to talk to me about AGS, or if you have any thoughts about this manifesto and my case for the ship, please send me a message [here](https://icykalisartblog.tumblr.com/)—I love discussing anything AGS and there are many more thoughts I haven’t included here!  
  
P.S. The name AntiGravityShipping probably comes from the fact that Ghetsis and Colress have an anti-gravity ship, the Plasma Frigate. Everyone is so confused about the ship name, and it’s hilarious to me XD


End file.
